View full sizeJ. Scott Applewhite, The Associated PressThe GOP 'Pledge to America' borrows from the 'Contract with America' developed by Newt Gingrich for the House Republicanâs successful 1994 campaign,

Scalise, whose 1st Congressional District is highly conservative and heavily Republican, immediately embraced the 21-page document, saying it is important that Republicans show what they would do if returned to the majority besides oppose President Barack Obama's policies.

Cao, whose district is heavily Democratic and continues to strongly embrace the president and his policies, says he is fine with some aspects of the pledge, especially provisions designed to strengthen small businesses, but opposes others, such as the promise to replace the Obama health-care overhaul in part with health savings accounts.

Not enough of his constituents, Cao said, have the money to buy into the savings accounts, even with tax breaks, making it an unsatisfactory alternative.

"The last two years I have been all about the issue, not party, looking at how each issue will affect the people in my district," Cao said. "I don't ever conform to any particular ideology or to any particular pledge."

State Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, Cao's Democratic opponent in the Nov. 2 election, said the problem is that Republicans, with Cao's re-election, would be closer to taking back the majority, and put GOP House leaders such as John Boehner, R-Ohio, in position to enact the pledge, which he said would be "disastrous" for New Orleans.

"Whether he supports part of it or not, by voting for John Boehner for speaker he's helping to enact these provisions, including cutting federal funding that will hurt New Orleans," Richmond said.

Scalise said Republicans are showing that the party is ready to govern and, even more important, prepared to listen to the American people.

"I don't think it is enough to say that we don't like what they stand for, we have to tell people what we would do," said Scalise, who believes Americans will support the GOP plan to retain all the Bush tax cuts, cut many discretionary programs to 2008 levels, repeal the Obama health-care package, support strong domestic oil and gas production and ease federal regulations.

Cao said he supports, unlike Richmond, the GOP pledge's call to reclaim unspent funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus program. While Cao acknowledges the program generated $360 million for his district, he said that local taxpayers will end up "paying far more in taxes" to pay for it.

"It's more of the same we've come to expect from Washington," Sangisetty said. "The Republicans talk a good game about reducing spending, but they don't deliver. They offer no real solutions to put this country on the right path."

The two Republicans running in the 3rd District's Oct. 2 GOP runoff, Jeff Landry and Hunt Downer, embraced the pledge, which borrows from the "Contract with America" developed by Newt Gingrich for the House Republican's successful 1994 campaign,

"It's far and away the broadest reaching document that congressional leaders have put out since 1994," Landry, a lawyer, said.

Buddy Boe, Downer's campaign manager, said the former Louisiana House speaker has put up his conservative agenda on his website that closely matches the GOP pledge.

Democrats said the GOP pledge would return the nation to polices enacted during the George W. Bush administration, which they describe as a tax cuts for millionaires, deficit spending and lax oversight of Wall Street and the oil and gas industry.

"Just as we expected, the Republican agenda has no new ideas and will take us right back to the exact same agenda that failed middle class families and small businesses," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Rep. John Fleming, R-Minden, said the agenda reflects the new direction most Americans are demanding for their government.

"The Pledge to America represents an agenda set by the American people, not by tone-deaf leaders in Washington," he said.

Not all conservatives embraced the pledge. While the pledge borrows from tea party statements, calling on a return of the government to the people, it doesn't call for the major reduction of federal programs embraced by many tea party members.

David Frum, a former George W. Bush speech writer, said he's disappointed the pledge lacks bold new promises to reform government. But he isn't surprised.

"Here is the GOP cruising to a handsome election victory," he wrote on his blog. "Did you seriously imagine that they would jeopardize the prospect of victory and chairmanships by issuing big, bold promises to do deadly unpopular things?"